Mine was to Coed y Brenin (7 hours), and yes, it was.
i drove 8.5hrs to ride lennox forest north shore stuff 🙂
yes it was
8 hrs to fort william...................very very well worth it.
about 10hrs to Kirroughtree... I would do it again..
800+ round trip to the quantocks - it was good but the cost and time spent driving was a lot for the amount of riding. I'd go there again but I wouod need to have another reason to be in the area or go cheaply by train
From Herts to Congleton to ride the DH course there, many many moons ago.
Every minute of it.
3 hrs to Afan. A really jolly day out with some giggly bits in great company. And I was faster than my mate who always used to make me suffer.
Or
45 minute on the train from work to Edale and evening mini epics back to S Manchester via Mam Tor, Hayfield, Marple etc.
About 9 hours to Afan, yeah but was worth it but mainly as good to see so many friends again.
Drove to Wales from London around New Year for an overnighter to ride Cwmcarn and Afan- accident on M4 meant I didn't get there til dark, so couldn't ride Cwmcarn that day, went to hotel in Cardiff, and my wife rang me up that night saying heavy snow was expected the next day on the M4 corridor, and could I please return first thing in the morning.
300 odd miles, no riding.
Did London to Glentress once, for one lap around the red, though to be fair we'd gone up to see a friend.
Not the greenest of households here sometimes. 😳
5 hours, Edinburgh to Sherwood Pines. Just about worth it.
5 hours, Edinburgh to Sherwood Pines. Just about worth it.
Why on earth would you do that?
Anything beyond an hour in the car is testing my patience. Don't see the point.
Anything beyond an hour in the car is testing my patience. Don't see the point.
Some don't have the luxury of having anything within that distance. I have Woburn 1hr away and after that its 2hrs plus.
One way? If you're not including going to a race, then 3hrs to Glentress to see what had changed in the 5 years between visits.
It was worth it (though I think I would have preferred stopping over one night and getting two days worth of riding in and playing up at Innerleithen too) 🙂
6.5 hrs from nr Peterborough to Glentress & Innerleithen for the weekend - definitely worth it.
5.5 hrs to Dalbeattie - was definitely worth it, but not leaving until gone 6:30 in the evening meant it was an 'enthusiastic' drive and a quick burger stop rather than an enjoyable journey...
Kirroughtree looks badass. Is that the best of the trail centres?
I've heard people bigging up Innerleithen but on Youtube the XC course at least looks very smooth. There's an uplift day there soon though. I liked Coed y Brenin because there were actually real rocks on it.
6.5 hrs from nr Peterborough to Glentress & Innerleithen for the weekend - definitely worth it.
Will be doing that same route myself soonish I reckon.
Hampshire to Golspie yes it was worth it. But only because it was a multiday trip - so Mabie, Ae, Fort Bill, Golspie & another trail, Glentress, Inners home.
Out and back in a day was to the trail centre beyond the end of the M4. And no! It wasn't worth it!
Longest out and back worth the effort is Afan which is about 2.30 each way.
People drive to go mountain biking? Madness.
5 hrs to Coed-y-brenin and totally worth it.
I'd ridden there before and I think it's fine, perhaps a little overrated, but I had to go up that way for a REC first aid course in November last year so went a day early, figured I'd drive it with as scenic a route as possible, get a ride in and find my B&B.
Got there around midday on a Friday, deserted car park, not a single sole on the trails, cold misty day. Rode the Tarw and MBR trails in one hit and just had one of those rides where everything came together and flowed perfectly.
Probably the best ride I ever had. 😮
Some don't have the luxury of having anything within that distance.
I'd just ride around the local woods. If I had to drive several hours every time I wanted to go mountain biking, I'd take up road riding...
5.5 hours south from Moray for a couple of days in the Lakes. Was superb.
For one days biking I've done Lancaster to Glentress a few times - about 2.5 hrs each way IIRC.
For an event/staying over for a few days etc, a bit more. Done Lancaster - Fort William for the 10 Under but that involved another couple of days biking plus a stop in the Lakes on the way back
EDIT - Double post. See below - c0cked that right up!
jhw - Member
Kirroughtree looks badass. Is that the best of the trail centres?
I preferred Dalbeattie to Kirroughtree - it seemed to flow better. They are quite close though so you should probably try both if you are over that way...
Jamie - Member
6.5 hrs from nr Peterborough to Glentress & Innerleithen for the weekend - definitely worth it.
Will be doing that same route myself soonish I reckon.
It's a pretty straightforward route, really. Just takes a while! We camped in Peebles; I think it's called the Rosetta caravan park or similar.
DeVs - Member
People drive to go mountain biking? Madness.
I drive long distances for a weekend away with mates that just so happens to include a spot of falling off my bike.
I'd just ride around the local woods. If I had to drive several hours every time I wanted to go mountain biking, I'd take up road riding...
Or move somewhere else.
5.5 hours south from Moray for a couple of days in the Lakes. Was superb.
People drive for hours AWAY from Scotland to go biking eh? 🙂
For me the furthest is about 2.5 hours (Lancaster-Glentress as mentioned above) and that was a little too much tbh. Anything more than an hour and a half starts to feel a bit ridiculous for me and I would look to stay up there and make it into a longer trip.
I preferred Dalbeattie to Kirroughtree - it seemed to flow better.
I found completely the opposite 🙂
Surrey to Ft William for the weekend, although we managed the journey up in just over 6 hours, so not too bad 😀
Cheers, Rich
Aside from driving to events, like Bonty 24-12 (Plymouth); Polaris (Kielder), I drove solo to the Quantocks to meet Knottie. About 3hrs IIRC.
Definitely worth it, and would so it again. Great riding. And not really that far.
Devon to Penmachno 4.5 hours not just worth it but I was staying up to ride other parts of Snowdonia with mates that were coming up a two days later.
One day trip Devon to Brechfa 3 hours to do the red + black - worth it but very tiring.
South Lake District to Glentress/Innerleithen is about 2.5 hours drive time. The trails are nice but I hate sitting in a car when I could be riding my bike. One reason why I've never bothered getting a downhill bike, everyone I know with one seems to spend more time driving to places than they do riding it.
mtb'ers have it easy.
lets assume a 4 hour drive to a trail centre, ride around for about 3 hours, and then 4hour drive home.
driving time = 8 hours.
riding time = 3 hours.
now think about surfers, assume a similar drive, 4hrs there + 4hrs back.
3 hours in the water, 10 waves caught per hour = 30 rides, at 20 seconds each, that's only 600 seconds surfing, that's 10 minutes.
surfers will drive 8 hours for 10minutes riding, mtb'ers will drive 8 hours for 3 hours riding.
it's all crazy, but much less crazy than rotting on the sofa watching X-factor.
(cue some smug bastard telling us about his local break)
Surrey to Ft William for the weekend, although we managed the journey up in just over 6 hours, so not too bad
6 hours for probably 550 miles?
Furthest I've been is Nottingham to Strathpeffer, for the first Strathpuffer. For a mere 14 or so hours of riding. Was great fun, and well worth it, but a hell of a long way.
Joe
it's not crazy, if you want to ride the best trails you have to drive a bit unless you're a shepherd or something
[i]it's not crazy, if you want to ride the best trails you have to drive a bit unless you're a shepherd or something [/i]
Depends where you live no?
I can see that in certain places there's probably not a right lot on the doorstep however for me I could ride great trails all day right from my doorstep.
However if I want a *variety* of riding, then yes, I have to drive/car share/get the train.
Although having said that I sometimes think that people these days are getting a bit soft. When I was about 17/18, me and some mates rode our MTBs from S London down to Penshurst, Kent. About 30 miles there (mix of on and off road) then we spent the day riding round there. Then we rode most of the way home before finally calling it a day and getting the train from about Bromley. Only option open to us; none of us drove, parents weren't going to drive us out there and sit around all day.
That is hardcore!
660km + overnight ferry to newcastle (each way)
and yes it was good
Many moons ago there was a guy who worked for the Inland Revenue in London who used to drive up to Glencoe and back every w/e to ice climb. Drove through the night Friday and then back down to London on Sunday / Monday.
Mind you, he'd be spending 10-12+ hrs a day on the hill - most folk on here seem to think a days riding is something you do in 3 to 5hrs
I've done a 1000 miles travel for a 6.25 run in under 33 minutes.
Circa 10hrs travel for 33 mins. Poor ratio?
Mind you, he'd be spending 10-12+ hrs a day on the hill - most folk on here seem to think a days riding is something you do in 3 to 5hrs
Bet he spent most of that time faffing or standing around belaying though. 🙂
furthest south = cornwall, North = Contin (N of inverness)
and yes.
once travelled from South Somerset to Innerleithen with my leg in a cast to get some uplifted DH runs in. that was def well worth it! 😀
Heather - a days DH riding is usually a whole day but actual riding time prob less than half an hour.
Well I rack up about 20k miles a year, 75%+ of which is biking related.
MINIMUM drive to ride offroad is an hour.
Longest distance for a day ride I think has probably been London->Howgills & back.
Normally try and make a weekend of long trips, but we do a lot of day rides in the Peaks. Luckily we can stop over at my parents in Leicester. I'm happy if I get a 1:1 ratio of driving to riding hours, so long as the ride is worth it.
Funnily enough, we're part way through quitting the rat race to move to Sheffield so we can ride from our doorstep.
Longest distance for a day ride I think has probably been London->Howgills & back.
😯
'Bout half an hours drive for me 😀
Good call on moving to Sheffield.
2.5 hours to Fort William and an hour to Gt and Inners. Yes it was worth it. Went to Grizedale when on holiday and would have been sorely dissappointed if I had made the trip just to ride there.
i can't motivate myself to drive more than 45 minutes max to go bike riding when i live on the edge of the north cotswolds i am happy riding there throughout the year.
that said, i did fly 9000 miles to adelaide to ride the Mawson Trail; so i'm a carbon footprint yeti
I'd only drive over an hour if it was to the Lakes OR I was staying on the way somewhere else as well (as part of a weekend).
Cracked if you'd drive 2hrs each way just to go home the same day IMO.
For those of you who only ride your local trails - don't you get bored riding the same stuff all the time?
The driving can quite often be a fag, but it makes me get out for a proper day, and I get to see a lot of different places. The last 3 weekends I've been in the Surrey Hills, and great though it is round there, I'm now gagging for something different. Roll on the Peaks on Sunday!
London to Ft Bill, and yes
Went to Grizedale when on holiday and would have been sorely dissappointed if I had made the trip just to ride there.
Please tell me you didn't just ride the North Face trail though - there is loads of good riding in Grizedale.
480 miles to Aviemore and, yes, well worth it.
For those of you who only ride your local trails - don't you get bored riding the same stuff all the time?
i get a reasonable variety with on road/off road cycling; daytime and night rides around here (hell of the north country).
don't you fall asleep driving 3 hours home after riding for 4 hours?
Kielder and SSEC both this year both ~3hrs driving and yeah both worth it. I start getting peeved with anything over 1.5hour drive (eachway) I ride a lot of local miles specially during winter but when the weathers nice (ha!) I like to go to lakes and peaks.
Not that far really. Either Edinburgh to Nevis Range or Edinburgh to Kielder. With ChrisL driving 
Both 100% worth it though, I'd go a lot further for those.
Most difficult would be getting the train to nevis range, that was a total faff, awkward leaving times, a change in glasgow, carrying 3 days of kit, clothes etc on the bike (I'm mentally incapable of travelling light) etc. Still worth it.
1 day trip, London to SWales 3.5 hours each way. Was worth it. Did drive to NWales 5hours to CYB but that was for a weekend, and that was even better. Now, after all that short travelling will go to Scotland for Kirroughtree. I am emotionally disturbed by mag reviews of that XC trail so must ride it! Hopefully not only that.
JonEdwards - Member
we're part way through quitting the rat race to move to Sheffield
a wise man. which bit?
My riding mates and I went through a phase of driving to scotland from manchester for a days riding quite regularly when the whole trail centre phenomenon took off but tbh, the novelty of spending 6 or 7 hrs in a car for 3 hrs riding soon wore off with me. I still enjoy the odd trip away but now with family pressures I much prefer to keep 90 percent of my riding within an hour of home.
which bit?
As far west as we can afford!
the Rivelin Riviera is surprisingly affordable...
West cornwall to lee/cragg quarry for Ed Oxleys `the flow' course, my mum lives in waterfoot though so free accomodation for the weekend helped! Festival traffic at Stafford made for an even longer journey both there and back. Worth it though.
Next time i visit i'm looking to go over the border into Yorkshire, Gisburn, Hebden Bridge and other bits of Calderdale - all looks worthy of a trip to see the old dear!
guess im lucky with bristol, pop over the bridge to wales, cwm carn, etc or just pop over to the quantocks, plus all the trails around ashton court, lee woods etc. I cannot get the whole drive for 5-8 hrs for a ride, much prefer a local ride within an hr to get a full day out. But I guess for some its not an option, that said I have 2 kids so getting back at 10pm is not an option with "her indoors"